http://riley-land.com2018-05-24T19:32:00Z2018-02-25T08:23:25Z2018-02-25T08:23:25Zhttp://riley-land.com/blog/cocktail-bourbon-alexander/Old Forester's take on a classic Brandy Alexander, using their Bohemian Bitters.Grate a little nutmeg over the top and you have a winner. Anyone who likes Bailey's will like this (to clarify, it doesn't taste like Bailey's; it does, however, have a kinship.

Combine all ingredients in shaker tin. Shake vigorously with
ice. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

]]>false2018-02-04T23:47:32Z2018-02-04T23:47:32Zhttp://riley-land.com/blog/recipe-pretzel-bites/Make these easy - and delicious - snacks the next time you have friends over, or when you're planning to sit on the sofa, binge-watching Orange is the New Black and need something tasty to keep you company. The recipe is adapted from Yekaterina Boytsova's version from Bon Appetit Magazine.

Grease a very large bowl with butter. Pour ½ cup warm water
(100°–115°) into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast over. Add brown
sugar and stir to dissolve. Let sit until foamy, 5–7 minutes.

Stir in bread flour, beer, kosher salt, and remaining 2 Tbsp.
butter with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy dough forms. Mix with
dough hook on medium-low speed until dough forms into a smooth ball, about 2
minutes. (You might need to help dough form into a ball by scraping up some
flour from bottom of bowl with your hands.) Dough should be firm and might be a
little tacky, but not sticky. If dough is still sticky, add flour 1 Tbsp. at a
time, mixing until smooth. If dough is too dry, add warm water 1 tsp. at a
time. Continue to mix on medium-low speed until dough is smooth and elastic,
5–7 minutes. (Alternatively, mix dough ingredients in a large bowl, then turn
out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand, about 10 minutes.)

Transfer dough to prepared bowl and cover tightly with plastic
wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1½ hours.

Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 500°.
Turn out dough onto a clean work surface and punch down to deflate. Divide into
8 equal pieces (if you have a kitchen scale, weigh the dough before cutting,
then divide by weight; otherwise, eyeball it). Working with 1 piece at a time
and keeping remaining dough covered with a damp kitchen towel, shape dough into
a rope about 12" long and ¾" in diameter, applying light pressure
with your palms and working from center of dough out to the ends. If you need
more friction, lightly spray work surface with water.

While dough pieces are going through second rise, bring 8 cups
water to a boil in a large pot. Carefully add baking soda, which will bubble
violently.

Using a large spider and working in 2 batches, gently dip dough
pieces into boiling solution. Cook, turning, until pieces are fully coated,
about 20 seconds. Using spider, remove from liquid and drain on paper towels.
Divide between 2 lightly oiled rimmed baking sheets, spacing at least 1"
apart.

Beat egg with 1 Tbsp. water in a small bowl, then brush dough
pieces with egg wash. Sprinkle with toppings. Bake pretzels, rotating sheets
from front to back and top to bottom halfway through, until deep brown in
color, 8–12 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve with mustard for dipping.

Do Ahead: Pretzel dough before rises can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in
plastic and chill. Let come to room temperature, then let rise in a warm place
until doubled in volume, 3–4 hours.

RECIPE BY YEKATERINA BOYTSOVA | PHOTO BY CHELSIE CRAIG

]]>false2018-02-04T22:21:29Z2018-02-04T22:21:29Zhttp://riley-land.com/blog/recipe-buffalo-wing-popcorn/I'm an avid Bon Appetit subscriber and love it when they come up with something new. They were touting this popcorn as the greatest thing since pay-at-the-pump gasoline, so I had to try it. I pulled out a jar of the Zook! Zook! Powder Puff Popping Corn and my ever-present bottle of Southern Art Hot Sauce and went to town. And...... baby. Claire Saffitz, who created this monstrosity of deliciousness, should be either beat down in the streets or elevated to sainthood. I can't decide if I love her or loathe her. Let's be real: I love her. This is the stuff that snacking legends are made of. Make it. Today. Claire - thank you. Humbly yours, joseph

Preheat oven to 300°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment
paper. Lightly coat parchment and a large bowl with nonstick spray; add popcorn
to bowl. Set baking sheet aside.

Bring sugar and ¼ cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over
medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil, swirling pan occasionally,
until caramel is a deep amber color, 10–12 minutes.

Remove from heat; stir in hot sauce and butter (mixture will
bubble vigorously). Return to a boil and cook another 3 minutes. Remove from
heat; stir in salt, baking soda, and cayenne. Working quickly (and
carefully—caramel will be very hot), pour caramel mixture over popcorn and toss
to coat.

DO AHEAD: Popcorn can be made 4 hours ahead. Store airtight at room
temperature to keep out moisture.

RECIPE BY: CLAIRE SAFFITZ | PHOTO BY: JARREN FINK

]]>false2017-11-26T18:08:53Z2017-11-26T18:08:53Zhttp://riley-land.com/blog/meet-the-new-queen-of-the-african-kitchen/I am so so so so so excited to share this!!!

So, in the spring of 2015, amidst week-of production for my brother's (huge) wedding, I received an email with the list of that year's sofi award nominees. A quick scan piqued my interest in this small company from Raleigh that I had never heard of - Kitchens of Africa. They had multiple nominations, the packaging was absolutely beautiful (shout out to whoever did their branding) and the sauces would (obviously) be a fit for the Riley/Land concept. My Harlem folks will love this. But so will the people in Portland and Ashville and Nashville and beyond.

I called the number listed immediately (like, less than 5 minutes after receiving the email) and spoke with Jainaba Jeng, founder of Kitchens of Africa. The company was so small I was calling her on her personal cell phone, I realized as we were speaking. Again, a perfect fit for RL; we were on the same level! And so my love affair began. When I arrived at the Fancy Food Show, I sought out Jainaba and her miracle sauces. We ran into each other a few times at the show and after she walked down the red carpet and Ted Allen announced Kitchens of Africa as a winner, I felt like I had won the award. I was so happy for her and ready to share her phenomenal sauces with the world.

Below, is a few words from Jainaba that I thought you might like. When you're done, go ahead and check out her product line. Like I said, more will come soon...

Hi, I'm Jainaba Jeng, founder of Kitchens of Africa.

This company is my dream come true, and I'm delighted to have the chance
to introduce you to our little slice of Africa.

First, some background.

I was born and raised in The Gambia, a tiny country in the
western part of Africa. Because the opportunities for higher education were
limited there, my family sent me to a university in Halifax, Nova Scotia to get
my degree in International Relations. While I was in school, a military coup
occurred in my country. Because of the ensuing political climate, my family
felt it was best that I not return home after graduation.

I decided to move to Raleigh, North Carolina in 1997, where
a few of my relatives had already settled. I quickly fell in love with my new
surroundings and wholeheartedly embraced the American dream, believing that
hard work and determination made anything possible.

Over the years, I worked in a variety of professional jobs,
each one fulfilling in its own way. But in my heart, I knew that that my real
passion was food. Back in my home country, food had always played an integral
part of the customs, culture and traditions. I had been accustomed to eating
amazingly good, home-cooked meals, packed with tons of flavor. Looking back, I
now realize how much I took for granted.

I yearned for the comforting flavors of African food. I knew
I could easily find sauces and spices that enabled me to make international
dishes from other countries like India, Thailand and Mexico. But the same
convenience foods didn’t exist for African cuisine. If I
wanted to eat food that tasted like that of my homeland, I had to cook
it from scratch. It required lengthy prep work, endless ingredient sourcing and
long hours of slow simmering.

I found myself wondering, if other ethnic cuisines could be
easily prepared at home, why not African? My mission was born – introduce a line of flavorful and authentic
African-inspired convenience foods from all over the continent, make them easy
to use and hope to one day see them on mainstream supermarket shelves alongside
other ethnic specialties.

My first challenge was determining how to create the most
authentic and shelf-stable product line without sacrificing taste or quality.

Second, I insisted we shut the door to preservatives,
additives, thickeners, colorings, fillers and other artificial ingredients. We
never used them in Africa, and we don’t need them
here!

So I went to work and personally developed all the recipes,
taking great pride in capturing the essence of African cooking – food that is well seasoned, super concentrated with complex flavor
combinations of exotic African ingredients (spicy, tangy, sweet, pungent
and bitter), and simmered gently for hours to create layers of bold flavors.

It took more than a year of tireless experimentation,
endless research and development, not to mention the arduous task of being
chief taste tester, which involved eating Maffé and Yassa
for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner (yeah, tough job).

Today, I'm proud to introduce a line of products straight
from my heart and directly from the Kitchens of Africa. When you taste our
foods, I hope you will feel the warmth, love and soul of all women of Africa to
whom I pay tribute on our packaging; they are responsible for most of the
cooking in Africa.

Our simmer sauces and jerk pastes are just the beginning.
Please check back frequently as we plan to keep adding more products. My goal
is to eventually create regional delicacies representing all four corners of
the vast and exciting continent that is Africa.

So step into our kitchen, put your feet up, and allow us to
take your taste buds on an exotic journey to Africa.

Na resax jamah! {“Hearty
Appetite!” in Wolof, my native tongue}

Jainaba Jeng

(not the best quality, but I snagged this picture of the big screen while Jainaba was accepting her award).

A bit of inspiration from the Kitchens of Africa Instagram:

]]>false2017-11-06T17:31:38Z2017-11-06T17:31:38Zhttp://riley-land.com/blog/pumpkin-chai-spice-nut-butter-pie-thanksgiving-your-way/One of the first products I included when opening Riley/Land in 2013 was Big Spoon Roasters' CHAI SPICE NUT BUTTER. Immediately, it was a best seller and has remained as such. I have a dedicated group of clients who purchase it on a regular basis. That Thanksgiving, I stumbled across this recipe from Emily Hilliard, a writer and food-lover in West Virginia. Emily bumps up a traditional pumpkin pie with the chai spice nut butter and created an instant classic in the process. When I changed up the website, the recipe I had posted disappeared and I have had numerous requests to repost it so folks can make it this year for Thanksgiving. Emily, thank you from all of us at The Riley/Land Collection for coming up with this pie!

1. Prepare half of the Nothing-in-the-House pie crust as per the directions, reserving the leftover egg for an egg wash. Chill dough at least 1 hour before rolling out and fitting into a greased and floured 9-inch pie pan. Let chill for 15 more minutes in the fridge. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add pumpkin purée, whisked eggs, heavy cream, brown sugar, spices, and salt and mix well to combine. Add the Chai Spice nut butter and stir just until incorporated.

3. Pour filling into the chilled pie crust and distribute evenly using a rubber spatula. Bake 40-45 minutes until filling is well-set. Let cool and once at room temperature, chill pie until you're ready to serve. Serve chilled or at room temperature with a dollop of bourbon whipped cream.

Earn 5 points for every dollar spent (because when you spend, you get rewarded!)

WHO WANTS FREE STUFF?

During the month of November, to celebrate our program's launch, we are giving away this beautiful handmade wooden bowl (valued at $249) - one of our signature items FOR FREE!!!

RULES:

Points will be retroactive (as far as we can track it). Program participants may be asked for their email address and social media handles to assign points to the correct Tastemaker. Some points are awarded right away, others will be awarded usually within 15 days. Contact us at info@riley-land.com for point questions. Once investigated, all point decisions are final.

HOW TO SIGN UP:

Click the RL Tastemaker's Banner/link in the lower right of your screen to get started. Here's a screenshot:

]]>false2017-05-16T00:40:38Z2017-05-16T00:40:38Zhttp://riley-land.com/blog/recipe-hatch-chile-chicken-tortilla-soup/
Who doesn’t love a nice warm bowl of chicken tortilla soup? It’s
got crunch. It’s got cheese. It’s got heat. It’s got flavor - and plenty of it.
This recipe, from our friends over at
The
Gracious Gourmet
, is one of my favorite go-to meals in the winter. And
spring. Actually, I like this one year-round. I add a little avocado to my
garnish as well. The Hatch Chile Pesto, by the way, is a sofi-Award winner; it’s
good stuff.

INGREDIENTS

5 cups chicken broth

½ pound boneless skinless chicken breast (chopped in small
pieces)

1 (14 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, with juice

½ jar Hatch Chile Pesto

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese for garnish

1-2 cups broke tortilla chips

½ cup sour cream for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Place first four ingredients in a three-quart saucepan.
Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, cooking until chicken is done
(8-10 minutes). Adjust salt and pepper, if necessary. Spoon soup into deep
bowls and garnish with broken tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese and a
swirl of sour cream, if desired. Makes four servings.